Friday, November 10, 2006

ken mehlman un-outed

"John D. Rockefeller IV, D-W.Va., wants to take a closer look at the intelligence of yesterday, today and tomorrow.[]Rockefeller also intends to review how agencies are carrying out the 2004 intelligence overhaul law (PL 108-458). He wants to access whether they are producing assessments unbiased by political influences, tackling a major shortfall in foreign language skills, and improving intelligence collection from spies on the ground, not just satellites and other technological means.

Roberts and Rockefeller have warred over an investigation into Iraq prewar intelligence. They completed “Phase I” of the inquiry, which culminated in a report that heavily faulted the Central Intelligence Agency. But “Phase II” has been a different story. Democrats forced the Senate into closed session in 2005 to spotlight call attention to what they considered Roberts’ attempt to stall the probe and shelter the Bush administration from criticism. Republicans charged that Democrats were grandstanding.

Three parts remain unfinished in the five-part Phase II probe. Rockefeller has fought Roberts’ effort to expand a review of Bush administration statements in the war run-up to examine Democratic statements of that period as well. Roberts has overridden Rockefeller and postponed an examination of the Pentagon’s Office of Special Plans under former Undersecretary of Defense Douglas J. Feith, pending a Pentagon inspector general’s report. A third segment of the investigation, reviewing pre-war assessments of post-war Iraq, is still pending."

But it does make you wonder: Is there anything the Republicans could do, any line of incompetence or plutocratic indulgence they could cross, that would cost them their national majority among the honkies? I'm seriously beginning to doubt it.

Which means the Democrats once again owe a great big thank you to the African-American and Hispanic voters of this country. Without them, the Rovians would still hold supreme power -- and would have a fair prospect of preserving their 51% majority in perpetuity."